Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Yes, upper level Puzzle Place intrigues of the bureaucrats, both in uniform and out. The whole mess has been taken over by block checking managers rather than fighters. We've been at war for 10 years, how many commanders and leaders on the battlefield have been promoted without regard to 'box checking'? They've kept the "friggin" peacetime promotion system in place and the 'mother my I' award system.

#7 Couldn't figure out why Outpost Keating was place where it was; basically at the low point of a bowl formed by surrounding mountains. The high ground was occupied by the enemy. The outpost was hard to get to by helicopter and by road. It seems the outpost was stuck out there and basically forgotten. Maybe, I'm missing something but that doesn't seem like any way to fight a war. The people at the outpost had a good accounting of themselves--brave soldiers.

#9 Typical cavalry mission. Go someplace obvious, draw in craploads of hostiles, and hope you can kill enough of them to survive until the relief force gets there. We've been doing that since the Indian wars on the great plains. Such has always been the duty of "scouts" and "covering forces"

#11 Maybe, I'm missing something but that doesn't seem like any way to fight a war

Same reason you put the biggest f---ing flag you can find on the mast and go steaming up the Straits of Hormuz in the middle of the day. Because you're hoping* the 'other guy' is stupid and angry enough to attack you.

*you're also hoping that the TLAMs and Harpoons are ready and aircraft from the carrier are close enough.